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Campus Initiatives

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is committed to providing outstanding, sustainable services to the campus community.

Our greatest goal as the Office for Sustainability is to educate the UTRGV and Rio Grande Valley communities about sustainability, the sustainable endeavors carried out on campus and our community, and how community members can be a part of the sustainable changes happening around them. To accomplish our goal we have diversified our efforts through several multi-platform strategies that enable us to reach our students, our faculty and staff, and our community.

We accomplish our goals in education through:

Programs and Events

Supporting UTRGV students in their sustainable endeavors

Promoting sustainable practices and projects in our campus and community

Facilitating communication between organizations, departments and community members

These are just a few examples of sustainable development at UTRGV supporting students, faculty, and staff:

The University of Texas System – “Living Well: Make it a Priority” Worksite Health & Wellness program has partnered with all UT institutions to provide UT SELECT Medical plan members a free, user-friendly and mobile Activity Challenge Platform. Throughout the year, different wellness challenges will be offered and will focus on a health behavior such as physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and more.

We celebrate the sustainability initiatives UTRGV departments are spearheading!

Facilities, Planning, and Operations leads the Energy Saving Campaign for major holiday breaks and also monitors water, waste, air quality and other campus utilities to optimize performance and sustainability.

This department also maintains UTRGV's grounds, including the many trees which earned the Edinburg campus the Tree Campus USA designation.

EHSR trains faculty and staff on the safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, such as from science labs, in efforts to protect the environment.

Information Technology at UTRGV provides the IT infrastructure, resources, and services that support and empower our students, faculty and staff to effectively achieve their outcomes in student learning, teaching and research. IT has helped create several apps that facilitate other departments in serving students. Additionally, IT leads a campaign to encourage mindful printing, in efforts to reduce the paper waste that comes from normal campus use.

The Procurement Office strives to provide a balance between price, value, quality, delivery and service in compliance with State, Federal Statutes, as well as Regents' Rules and Regulations. The Procurement Office has been instrumental in helping UTRGV faculty and staff purchase sustainable products or utilize sustainable service providers.

The Student Union supports services, programming, dining, recreation, and meeting spaces to enrich student life and promote the continuation of learning outside the classroom. The Student Union hosts a plethora of events, many of which are sustainability related.

Child Development Services proves quality child-care services to full-time university students and employees to help them balance work, school and family. We focus on the whole child, taking into account all your child’s developmental needs – physical, social, emotional and cognitive.

Department of Housing and Residence Life focuses on academic success, civic and community engagement, social and recreational involvement, healthy relationships, inclusive communities and personal wellness. The residential community offers a variety of options for leadership, peer relationships and employment.

UTRGV contracts its Dining Services to an outside agency, Sodexo. From purchasing local seasonal produce whenever possible to reducing inorganic and organic waste, your campus team is dedicated to providing you with an exceptional dining experience that is good for you and good for the planet.

This commitment was formalized with Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan. The Better Tomorrow Plan includes 18 commitments for a brighter future by focusing on four key priorities: health, planet, community and our people. Learn more about the Better Tomorrow Commitments.

Health Services at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is here to meet the health care needs of our students so they can focus on their studies. As a UTRGV student you have paid a Medical Service Fee that allows you to be seen at either of our clinics as often as needed. The office visits are free of charge as are most educational services. There are also low-cost charges for medicines, supplies and any needed lab tests.

University Recreation offers group exercise, personal training, and a variety of fitness equipment to promote health and well-being. Our programs and services offered and intended to be interactive, fun, and educational. Most of our programs are free or reduced costs for members.